Railway hopper car structure



Jan. 16, 1924. F. H. BEQDER 1,943,294

RAILWAY HOPPER CAR STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 30, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Wren/0f Qf/orney Jan. 16, 1934. F. H. BENDER RAILWQY HOPPER CARSTRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 30, 1931 MVP/716x" I F/[ fiends/mg labor.

Patented Jan. 16, 1934 RAILWAY HOPPER CAR STRUCTURE Frederic iii.Bender, Chicago, 111., assig'nor to General Steel (lastings Corporation,Granite City, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application December 30,1931 Serial No. 583,825

This invention relates to railway rolling stock and consists in a novelhopper car construction. I

It is customary to fabricate railwaycars by cut- 5 ting and drilling alarge number of plates and structural shapes, including gussets andconnect.-

ing angles, etc., and then assembling the numerous parts and rivetingthem together. This involves a great deal of machine work and erect-Railway car hoppers constructed in this manner have numerous rivet headswhich interfere with the movement of the car load over the hopper walls,and the rivet heads and other joints between assembled parts providenumerous crevices in which moisture and dirt may accumulate and set upcorrosive action tending to widen the joints and loosen up the securingmeans. This is particularly true where certain classes of merchandiseare used having a sul- 0 phurous or other acid creating content. Sincethe hopper structure is subject to the disintegration indicated, itcannot be relied upon as having a load carrying or longitudinal forcetransmitting value. 5 For these reasons it is desirable to form the carunderirame, including the hoppers, of as few parts as possible andhaving as few Joints and inter-securing elements as possible and one wayof meeting the difliculties indicated above and securing the desiredresult is to cast the en tire underframe in a single unit. 1

However, if a large car underframe is constructed as a single integralcasting, the various members must be of suflicient thickness to mold.Because of this requirement, many of the sections resulting from castingan underframe as a. unit are heavier than is necessary to meet strengthrequirements. If an attempt is made to 0 include in the castingfloor-like or wall-like members of relatively large area, there isfurther likelihood of producing additional unnecessary weight.

The present invention has for its main object the reduction in weightand an increase in the facility of manufacture incident upon integralconstruction, while at the same time providing for individual sectionsof size and weight-commensurate with strength requirements. This objectand others are attained substantially by costing the hoppers and otherportions of the underframe in comparatively few units of such size andform as best adapted to foundry practice, and then welding the unitsinto an essentially integral structure.

insure proper. flow of metal to all parts of the This main object andother detail objects apparent from the following specification areattained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- The left-hand portion of Figure 1 is a top view of one-half of ahopper car underframe, and the right-hand portion oi. Figure 1 is abottom view of the other half of the underframe.

The left-hand portion of Figure 2 is a side elevation of one-half of theunderirame, and the right-hand portion of Figure 2 is a verticallongitudinal section taken on the center line of the other half of theunderframe. I

Figures 3, 4 and 6 are vertical transverse sections taken on thecorresponding section lines of m Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an end view of the underframe.

The underframe shown in the drawings has eight hoppers and comprises aplurality of separately cast units. Adjacent units and separately 7formed strut and brace elements therefore are welded to each other alongtheir intersections.

Each of the. bolsters A (Figure 4) constitutes a casting of general Ishape cross section having an upright web 1 with perforations 2 tolighten the structure, and a top plate 3 suitably inclined to supporthopper floor extension 22. Plate 3 is braced by a series of-corner ribs4, and diagonal ribs 5, extending between perforations 2, reinforcingthe upright web. 1.'

The bolster casting also includes jacking plates 6, side bearings '7,and a center plate 8. The ends of the bolster are flanged as at 24formounting superstructure side sheets 19.

A tub'ular center sill 10 extends lengthwise between the bolsters andconstitutes a separate casting with its ends inserted in openings 9therefor in the bolsters and is welded to the latter.

The hoppers constitute eight separate castings B, C, D, E, F, G, H andJ. Each hopper casting includes inclined floor elements 13 and 14 andside walls 43 and 44, the latter being shaped at the inner side of thehopper to conform with the contour of tubular center sill 10. Floorelements 13 are braced by ribs 15. Floor elements 14 have rectangulardoor openings 16 and hinge elements 17. Angular flanges 18 extend alongthe outer side edges of the hopper castings and have upright webs 18aarranged to serve as bottom chords for side frame giggels (not shown)and to mount side sheets 19. ese angular flanges are braced by internalcomer ribs 20 and external corner ribs 21.

Each of the hoppers B, C, E, F, G and H is providedwith an upright web25 at one end. no

When the hoppers are assembled, the inner end of each web 25 slightlyoverlaps a corresponding web on the opposite side of the underframe andthe overlapping ends of webs 25 are welded together, as indicated at X.The structure just described provides a cross beam of substantialstrength extending from side to side of the car.

Crescent-shaped plates 26 extend across the bottom of the center silland are welded thereto and to the sloping floors of the adjacenthoppers, as indicated at W. The intersections of the hopper floors witheach other and with the center sill are also welded together, asindicated at Y. These plates form a tie or connection below the centersill between the hoppers on each side and also increase the effectivedepth of the cross beam, formed by the upright webs 25, at its centerportion to form a stronger load carrying member, between the sides ofthe underframe.

The draft sills and adjacent structure at each end of the car constituteanother cast unit designated K" including a striking plate 27, a carryiron 28, spaced draft sills 29, and upstanding angle brackets 30. Theinner ends of the draft sills 29 merge in a tubularportion 29a fittingwithin the end of center sill 10 and provided with a hollow column 32over center plate 8 for receiving the king pin (not shown). The engagingends of the center sill and draft sills are also welded to each other toform an integral structure.

Each end of the underframe includes an end sill 31, welded to brackets30, channel side members 12, having horizontal flanges inserted inrecesses 11 in the ends of the corresponding bolster, diagonal struts33, shown as comprising sections of heavy piping, and corner castings L.

Each casting L includes a push pole pocket 34 and superstructuremounting flanges 35, and is recessed at the center for receiving the endof strut 33. All of the underframe end elements are welded together andto the adjacent underframe structure.

It will be seen that the assembled underframe comprises essentially anintegral whole, while the casting of the various units separatelyresults in the parts being of size and proportions according to strengthrequirements and they may be made free of restrictions present if all ofthe parts are cast together.

Various details of the construction illustrated are not essential, asfor instance, the size, shaping and number of the hoppers used and alsoof various other structural elements. The tubular center sill and theform of bolster shown may be changed to-suit different conditions. Theseand other modifications as to details may be made without departing fromthe spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of all suchmodifications as come within the scope of the appended claims iscontemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway hopper car, a body bolster member, a center sill member,a plurality of hopper members, and draft sill members, each of saidmembers comprising a separately formed unit of integral structure andall of said members being welded together to form an-integral underframestructure.

2. In a railway hopper car, a body bolster member, a center sill member,a plurality of hopper members, draft sill members, and end framingmembers, each of said members comprising a separately formed unit ofintegral structure and all of said members being welded together to forman integral underframe structure.

- of said draft sill units.

secured to the underside of said cyl ndrical cen- 3. In a railway hoppercar, spaced bodv bolster members each with a center plate and sidebearings, a tubular center sill member joining said bolster members, anddraft sill members each with a striking plate and a carry iron, each ofsaid members comprising a separately formed unit of integral structureand all of said members being welded together to form an integralunderframe structure.

4. In a railway hopper car, a center sill, and hopper members onopposite sides of said sill. each of said members being welded to saidsill substantially throughout the depth of the latter and having anupstanding end portion overlapping and welded at its end to the adjacentend of a corresponding portion of the other member and forming therewithan underframe cross beam.

5. In a railway hopper car, a cylindrical center sill, and hoppers oneach side thereof having sloping end walls extending transversely ofsaid sill, the inner edges of said walls being shaped to conform withthe contour of said sill and welded thereto.

6. A hopper for a railway car having an upright portion at its outeredge arranged to form a bottom chord of a car side frame truss orgirder.

7. In a railway hopper car, a center sill, hopper members on each sidethereof having portions intersecting said sill and shaped to conformwith the contour thereof, and secured to each other, and a separatelyformed bracing element extending transversely of said sill andconnecting said members.

7 8. In a railway hopper car, a center sill, hoppers on opposite sidesof said sill and having upstanding end portions extending across the topof said sill and cooperating toform an underframe cross beam, and aplate extending across the bottom of said sill and being welded to saidhoppers and serving to increase the effective depth of said beam.

9. In a railway hopper 'car, a cylindrical center sill, integral hoppermembers on each side thereof including sloping floor elements, and a tieelement extending transversely of said sill and 0 connecting saidmembers, said members, sill and tie being welded together along theirintersections. to form an integral underframe structure.

10. In a railway car, a bolster unit, a cylindricalcenter sill unitextending through an open- 12 ing in said bolster unit and secured tothe latter, and a draft sill unit terminating at its inner end in aportion received in said center sill unit and secured thereto.

11. In a railway car, draft sill units each comprising upright elementsfor mounting a draft gear and a cylindrical inner end portion, a tubularcenter sill unit extending between said draft sill units and unitedtherewith to form a continuous longitudinal member from end to end ofthe car.

12. A structure as specified in claim 11 which also includes bolstersapertured to receive said center sill unit and secured theretoindependently 13. In a railway car, a cylindrical center sill, hopperson opposite sides of said sill, said sill forming a longitudinal ridgebetween said hoppers.

14. In a railway car, a cylindrical center sill, hoppers on oppositesides of said sill, the upper edges of the inner side walls of saidhoppers being ter sill.

aerator 15. In a railway hopper car, a series of hoppers disposedlengthwise of the car, each hopper being cast in a single piece, theupper portions or said hoppers side walls at the side oi the car beingsecured to each other to form a car side sill.

16. A structure as specified in claim 15 in which the side sill formingportions of said hoppers are ofiset to form an angular sill and theopposite portions are provided with a series of transversely extendingstifiening ribs.

17. In a railway hopper car, spaced bolsters, a series of hoppersdisposed lengthwise of the car, the upper portions oi the side walls of?said hoppers being secured to eachother and formlog a side sillextending between said bolsters.

it. in a railway hopper car, spaced holsters, a series of pairs ofhoppers disposed lengthwise of the car, the upper portions of the outerside walls of said hoppers being secured to each other and forming sidesills extending between said bolsters, and the end walls of the hoppersof each pair being united with each other and merging with said sillconstituting portions to form cross bearers integral with the sidesills.

19. A structure as specified in. claim 15 in which the side sill formingportions of said hoppers are oilset to form an angular sill.

20. In a railway hopper car, separately formed hoppers on opposite sidesof the car, said hoppers including integral transverse end portionsoverlapping and cooperating with each other to form a cross beam forsupporting a portion of the load.

21. In a railway hopper car, a center sill, hopper members on each sidethereof having portions intersecting said sill and shaped to conformwith the contour thereof, and secured to each other and to said sill,and a bracing element extending transversely of and below said sill andconnecting said members and sill.

22. In a railway hopper car underframe center sill structure, separatelyformed hopper members on opposite sides of said center sill structure,said members including transverse end portions cooperating with eachother to form an underfrarne cross beam having an efiective depthcorrespondto that of said sill structure.

23. In a railway hopper car underirame center sill structure, aplurality of separately formed hopper members on opposite sides of saidcenter sill structure, said members on one side of said center sillstructure having respective. sloping end portions secured to thecorresponding portions of the members on the other side of said sillstructure above and below the level of said sill structure to form anunderframe cross beam.

FREDERIC H. BENDER.

